BY HON. A. NORTON. 7 



nails. Alick Jardine shot and brought a welcome addition 

 to their larder — a rock wallaby, a native companion, and 

 a young red kangaroo. For a time it seemed probable 

 tliat they would have trouble with the blacks, of whom 

 about 50 men, painted and fully armed, followed on their 

 track ; when turned upon, however, they hastily retreated. 

 Next morning all the horses were missing, having made 

 back, after the previous day's weary travelling and star- 

 vation, towards the last luxuriantly-grassed camp. Bad, 

 however, as the country had proved up to this time, it 

 now became more and more difficult. On 17th October, 

 one of their best horses had injured a hoof very severely, 

 and two cows fell from the rocks and were killed. What 

 grass there was was dry and very poor, even in the bed 

 of Parallel Creek, where they camped for the night, and on 

 the western side a basaltic wall 80 feet in height barred all 

 progress in that direction. Nor was there any improve- 

 ment next day ; perpendicular cliffs on either side com- 

 pelled them to travel down the bed of the creek, where 

 there was almost no grass, and in which great blocks of 

 stone impeded the passage of the stock, the backs and feet 

 of which were " in a woful plight." One horse was lost, 

 and a bull and S3veral of the cattle completely knocked 

 up. This day they saw a large number of natives, some 

 of whom were cooking fish, which they left in alarm, and 

 also their arms. " These blacks were puny, wretched- 

 looking creatures, and very thin. They had a great number 

 of wild dogs with them — over thirty being counted by 

 the party." 



On 19th October, they came to the junction of 

 Parallel Creek and the Einasleigh ; and, happily, there 

 was a slight improvement in the country. The river at the 

 point where they camped is described as being " about 

 700 yards wide, with fine waterholes in it, containing plenty 

 of fish." At a blacks' fire here they made a startling and 

 gruesome discovery — " the fresh remains of a negro were 

 fouild roasted, the head and thigh bones were alone com- 

 plete, all the rest of tlie body and limbs had been broken 

 up, and the skull was full of blood." One day more, and 

 for a time they had done with the stones, and grass and 

 water were abundant. They now came to the finest countr\ 

 the cattle had been on since deliverv was taken of them, 



